The Departure
by Legendary Swordsman
Summary: Their last sunset together left a burning mark on his heart, and burdened his mind as one walked free while one stayed bounded by the line of duty. Adam Malkovich and Samus Aran are as depicted in Other M.


The sky was painted in shades of gold and crimson of the sun. Its dazzling light still lingered on the horizon with its orange hues gradually shrinking into the awaiting dusk. Its lovely colors were soon replaced by the dark pallets of night. The often beautiful sunset was the day's last attraction before the moon rose into the dark sky, remembered and never forgotten as it vanished each day. Though now, its dancing lights served only as a simple backdrop for the last act, the finale for two.

Out on the open runway of the Galactic Federation base, a young girl clad in standard military uniform faced her commanding officer. Her gloved fists clenched by her sides as she turned an icy, cerulean stare upwards towards the man before her. His usual taciturn manner suddenly felt foreign. It was normally comforting and understanding; however, now it was just unwelcoming and plain daunting. Samus dug her nails into her palms, her eyes dropping from his face, no longer able to hold his seemingly intrusive gaze. She bit her lower lip, casting her eyes aside and letting them fall to rest on anything but his face.

Samus took the liberty to notice her commander's white and blue coat. His chest was adorned with an assortment of medals, the ones that she knew she would never receive. Each little pin, each badge that clung to the suit represented his valor and dedication towards the safety of his galaxy. That was the sign of an accomplished hero, a man of many sacrifices, the ideal soldier.

Moreover, all of those medals simply marked a man as a military dog; one that was pampered, decorated with praises, and walked on a tight leash. Truly the medals - on any one other than her commander - were only trivial trinkets that served no more purpose than that of distinguishing one man from the next.

Though despite everything, the young girl admired her commander and his sagacity: how he deployed his measured strategies; how he respected those under his care; and above all, how Adam regarded natural life - untampered. He carried himself with head held high, shoulders rolled back, journeyed through life's long road with a strong moral compass. He was neither some working machine as people often commented after viewing his legendary military records, nor some lionized icon.

Adam was her dearest friend...

_He was so much more..._

_So much closer... _

Recollecting her thoughts, Samus brought her eyes back up to meet his steel ones.

The man's perfect stance, tall and poised with arms folded behind his back, cap enshrowding piercing grey eyes, he continued to watch and listen to her rants and demands. The commander was seemingly unfazed by her declarations - so stubborn.

Her confrontation was straight to the point.

Samus was tired of this; whatever it was, she would take no more of it: the nonsense that was the Federation. It was time for her to take her leave, to become separate from the rest of the fold and to continue onward at her own pace. Nothing was going to deter her. Not even Adam Malkovich. She would become an interstellar bounty hunter; she would do everything the way she saw fit. Not waiting for anyone's orders but her own, relying only on the natural instincts of a fighter. That was all she needed. All she needed to be free.

She would be free.

And Adam would be happy; he would be happy for her.

The endless adventures she would encounter, the vast stars waiting for her to explore, the many mysteries waiting to be solved. She would see it all. She would see everything he would never get the chance to gaze upon. She would see the beauty of life, the things he could only dream of. The things she wouldn't see if anchored here. Tethered by a chain, weighted by that very same entity that is his line of duty.

Adam was happy.

If only that thought was true, however. _Happiness_ was the last emotion that would have crossed his mind. Still, he felt something akin to happiness - that he knew. For as independent as he wanted her to live, it left him with a feeling of melancholy. He had seen her as that vulnerable, little girl facing the harsh reality of life, then as a fresh youth in a brave new world, and now as a young adult ready to take on the cosmos. He could recall the days when she detached herself from society; those days when she was living for the present. Adam well retained in his mind the times when she was untouchable by people, emotion, peace, happiness; the list went on. Eventually, his wisdom, compassion, and abiding tolerance wore down those cold barriers she had fabricated, and forged that rapport that had brought them so close.

With all of their fonder memories, his mind had subtley unearthed less pleasant moments. Adam remembered her rebellious attitude towards him, which tested his unbreakable patience time and again. He was rather lenient to most of her seditious behavior throughout all of those past years they had spent together. Adam couldn't help but feel the anger inside of him beginning to smolder. Even after the experiences they shared, he asked himself, she would do this to him?

They had been through so much in the past years they've known each other. That very first moment they met; that day she was welcomed into his platoon; that time she was introduced to Anthony and Ian. Just the thoughts of her departure stung with betrayal.

Worse, the recent death of his little brother, Ian, shook him. It brought to light the realization and fear that anytime on the field of battle, he could lose her as well. And now Samus was choosing to leave on her own? He had been powerless to stop Ian's untimely departure, but with Samus, it was different. He could convince her to stay. At the very least under his command he could watch over her, protect her. After all, she was the closest person he had next to Ian, and the last one he had left. And somewhere inside, as selfish as it may seem, he knew he needed her here with him.

She couldn't leave him.

_Please, not now_.

Not after Ian had died by his very own command. But regardless of his feelings, he felt everything was about to change.

The commander dropped his arms to his sides, tightened his fists as anxiety began to creep across his body. He anticipated her next words but he couldn't bare to hear it.

"I'm leaving your command, Adam."

He stared at her expressionless face, watching the words slip from her lips one by one. Each syllable fell like a conductor's baton, marking time for the drum of his pounding heart towards the finality of it all. But he was lost. This song, this rhythm, it wasn't something he could understand. His mind struggled to wrap around her salient words. Yet, Adam had to face the music.

That was it. She would be leaving his command and nothing he could say would change it. Try as he might, his words would fall on deaf ears; he knew better.

He had lost Samus too.

At last, she had finally driven her point home and now it was time to move forward. He remained motionless, silent, and, by the looks of it, upset. He looked for a few last words to tell her but he had none left. What else did he have to say? Silence would be their parting words. In silence, lay everything that they needed to say but never would. There, their future rested. Had things been different, perchance, they might have sung the quiet into a new road. But that was not to be.

Now, Samus walked forward. Forward to her life, her way. Behind her, Adam was walking back. Back to his past, present, and future. He walked back to the life he always lived.

She was free to walk the path of the hunter.

And he, the solitary path of a simple soldier.


End file.
